ADVERTISMENT Zonar takes us through its new patented, turn-by-turn
solution: Zonar OnRoute™. On February 9, Zonar announced the release of Zonar OnRoute, which provides school bus drivers clear, accurate, turn-by-turn directions in real time.
To support districts’ need for school bus reliability and punctuality, OnRoute helps drivers navigate familiar and unfamiliar routes— as well as create new ones—with precision. Read on to learn how Zonar applied its two decades of experience and leadership in student transportation to build and patent a solution that steers drivers curbside, every time, without the need of a routing provider.
Q: How does OnRoute help alleviate pains caused by the driver shortage?
A: The number of substitute school bus drivers has increased in recent years. Although these drivers are critical to keeping operations moving and ensuring student safety, they may oſten be required to drive unfamiliar routes. And deal with last-minute changes. Turn-by-turn and stop-by-stop directions are a must- have, not a luxury. Every wrong turn wastes time and fuel, both of which add up quickly. Plus, we understand that many districts do not have a routing provider to help with navigation.
OnRoute provides bus drivers with the clear, real-time navigation they need to steer curbside and drop student riders off at the right stops. No routing provider required. OnRoute also provides detailed routing data and reporting for additional operational insights. It’s one routing-agnostic solution that supports all student transportation fleets.
Q: OnRoute is patented. What sets this solution apart from all others?
A: Zonar OnRoute consists of two mobile apps hosted on the driver’s Zonar tablet and a back-end portal for dispatch. One of those apps is OnRoute Record, which is the patented piece in all of this.
OnRoute Record captures and records route details as drivers go, including the vehicle path, stop locations and names, all through our Zonar V4™ GPS unit, which is installed directly on the vehicle. Once routes are recorded, the data is sent to the OnRoute management portal, and dispatch can approve and/or fine-tune the route using our drag-and-drop feature.
In case you’re wondering, yes, this is perfect for those practice runs before the school year begins to fine-tune routes.
Q: Tell us, how might dispatch and administrators use the OnRoute management portal?
A: So, the great thing about this solution is that it takes a lot of the burden off the back-end crew.
With OnRoute Record, drivers can record routes on the go, and update routes on the fly to capture new roads, private driveways, even find the most efficient route around a construction zone, for example. All dispatch has to do is review recorded routes, edit any information such as stop and route names, then approve them. If maybe they discover a more efficient turn or path, our easy-to-use drag and drop feature can be used to change the specific turn.
Once a route is approved, it will be available for drivers to choose in the OnRoute app. Simple as that.
Q: So once a route is recorded, then approved by the back- end staff, that route is then available to be used for turn-by- turn navigation?
A: Exactly, all approved routes are made available in the OnRoute driver app.
Once drivers log in to their tablet, they can search for the route name or number. And select it to get their stop-by-stop directions. If they drive a handful of routes time and time again, they can favorite routes for easier access. If the driver accidentally goes off route, OnRoute automatically guides them back on track to their next planned stop. And depending on state regulations, OnRoute will present audible and/or visual directions from the tablet.
If a fleet chooses audible only, then the tablet screen will go dark once the vehicle moves. Either way, drivers get the precision directions they need to get from A to B more easily and reliably.
Q: Even though the solution was launched this month, I understand you’ve already been successful supporting your customers?
A: Yes, and that is what we are most proud of.
When launching a product to the market, we undergo an extensive beta program to make sure the solution is well tested for every scenario out there. Rural or urban areas, we want to make sure every fleet has the best experience possible.
We’ve had so much success through this process that we were able to win the 2023 Big Innovation Award for the Transportation & Travel category. It truly was a One Zonar effort, but with all the feedback and interviews we have gotten from our customers over this extensive testing phase, we truly couldn’t have accomplished this without them. And for that, we thank them.
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